Secrets
by Kitana-uno
Summary: Ryo's Aunt Elena discovers a mysterious envelope in a trunk belonging to Ryo's father. The envelope reveals a sibling while unveiling the circumstances of the McLean's murder. Parental Guidance suggested.
1. Birth Certificate

** Secrets  
**  
_Disclaimer: FAKE belongs to Sanami Matoh and not KitanaUno or associates.  
  
Note: I don't know what Ryo's parent's names are and black and white manga does not show the color hair or eyes of Aunt Elena or Uncle Rick. I just made up the names of Ryo's mother (Since I clearly know Ryo's dad was named Frank).  
_

_Chapter One: Closet Skeletons_  
  
" What in the hell does Ryo need again?" Rick asked his wife Elena as they walked up the creaking steps towards the attic. She frowned staring at her husband. She pushed dark blond hair away from her face and turned to him. " The yellow envelope where that information on their death was filed," Elena replied, reaching the last step up to the attic. The hard wooden floors creaked under their combined weight as Elena walked slowly towards the back of their attic, pushing past old dusty furniture and boxes filled with things they had yet to unpack; despite the fact they had been living in the old house for years. " Where did you put it?" Rick questioned his wife, running long fingers through his own blonde hair. He sighed, moving towards his wife who was kneeling besides a large black chest. " This one is your brother's right?" Rick asked, sitting besides his wife. " Yep, this one is Frank's chest," The blond woman replied. She felt the cold wood under her fingertips. " Well, just be warned, Frank kept a lot of stuff in his chests, so don't be surprised if you find crap from the 1900's," Elena smiled, pointing at the dusty inside of the chest. It was painted black with Frank McLean's signature on the inside of the lid. Rick chuckled, looking through old pictures of Elena and Frank and an occasional few of Ryo, Elena, Frank and his wife. Rick could never remember her name. " What's Ryo's mother's name?" Rick questioned Elena. She frowned and looked up at him. " Rick! Her name was _Liz_." Elena replied, rolling up her pink shirt's sleeves. " It's extremely depressing looking through this stuff," Elena said. Rick wrapped his arms around his wife, embracing her briefly and inhaling her scent. She smelled of sunflowers mixed in rich fragrant wine and honey. Elena smiled, wrapping her own arms around his neck. " Weren't we looking for something?" Rick asked, interrupting their lovely moment. Elena laughed and nodded, handing Rick a stack of yellowing papers including newspapers and old magazine cut outs.  
They had searched for hours looking for the yellow envelope they needed to find. Elena's beautiful pink shirt became grimy and dusty with the dirt surrounding the attic. She sighed and inhaled a decent amount of dust, making her sneeze. The blond woman moaned in agony and fatigue. She was certainly about to give up when two fairly thick yellow office envelopes caught her attention. One of the envelopes was more of a pale yellow color, proving it was older. Elena grabbed it along with the other yellow envelope. She moved the envelope closer to her face, finding that the bittersweet scent of her brother's cologne. It was faint, but still present. Elena examined the address on the envelope. It was addressed to someone in London, England. She stared at the address blankly, wondering who her brother had written to and dumped at least half of his bottle of cologne on paper for. Elena's mind drifted and it seemed that her hands were moving on their own. She opened the envelope slowly to reveal a handwritten letter. It was written in her brother's handwriting. The blond surveyed the enveloped and found another document, this time; it was a birth certificate belonging to someone with no name but a last name, " McLean." Elena exhaled sharply, examining the birth certificate. She gasped for air as she neared the name written over the line that read, "Mother's maiden name." She stared at the envelope's address, fighting to see through tears. The birth certificate clearly did not belong to Ryo. It belonged to someone three years younger than him.  
" _Rick_!" Elena screamed from the attic. Rick had gone downstairs to make some lunch. He dropped the table knife he was using and ran up the stairs towards the attic as he heard his wife's scream. "I found it along with something else," Elena explained. Rick grasped his wife's shoulders, noticing the serious look on his wife's face. " What's wrong?"  
  
In the small apartment of Ryo McLean, the young Ryo sighed, desperately trying to separate the two violent males he seemed to be taking care of." Dee! Bikky! Quit it!" Ryo screamed. The tone in his voice became more rash and violent every time he had to separate the two. " Relax, Ryo. We were just playing." Bikky said, picking up the ashtray they had managed to knock down while fighting. " Hey, did anything come in the mail today?" Ryo asked, when both Dee and Bikky had calmed down completely. Bikky looked up from the floor. " Eh? Oh wait, some huge yellow envelope did come in the mail along with a letter from them," Bikky replied. Ryo stood from his seat on the couch and looked through the mail. He sighed and began tossing the bills into a pile and miscellaneous junk into another. " Here it is," He said, placing the yellow envelope on the couch and sitting beside it to read the personal letter from his aunt and uncle. Ryo smiled and stared up at Bikky." They're in London now. Another expedition type thing." Bikky nodded, watching Dee who was somehow quieter than usual. " What did you send for?" Dee asked, staring up at his sexy honey blonde partner. " A few of my parent's documents." Ryo replied, smiling sadly at Dee. The dark haired detective raised an eyebrow, eyeing his partner suspiciously. " What for?" He asked, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. " I wanted to investigate their deaths on my own." Ryo replied. Dee shook his head, staring in disbelief at Ryo. " Don't do that. Give it to someone who will be able to investigate it without going crazy, Ryo." Dee said. He was quieter than he normally was. Ryo nodded understanding that he could lose his mind if he ever found who his parent's killers were. " I know...I'll try to find someone," Ryo replied, smiling at his partner," I understand."  
  
Weeks after their departure from New York's John F. Kennedy airport, Elena and Rick took their long awaited photographic expedition to London, England. The white town car gleamed in the evening sun as the rays of light bounced off of the hood and windshield. " This is it, Madame, Sir, 1920 Englewood," the driver of the town car spoke with a thick British accent, his words almost slurred and hard to understand. Elena and Rick nodded, paying him a nice amount for the ride from the airport to the large white estate that stood before them, basking in the evening sunlight. " It's beautiful," Elena said, her eyes widening as she stared at the finely kept estate. " May I help you, Madame? Sir?" A young woman in her mid twenties appeared from behind a bush. She wore gardening clothes and a sun hat with a yellow sunflower on the brim.

" Uh...yes, we are looking for a Miss Sarah Cohen," Elena replied, watching the girl eye her strangely. " The Mistress is inside. Follow me," The girl said, signaling the estate house. Elena and Rick followed the young woman through the large white estate. The house was gorgeous on the inside, decorated in gold and silver, fine wooden furniture and glass chandeliers. Elena admired the expensive paintings and photographs. She smiled, passing by beautiful white doors.  
" She's here," the young woman said, pointing to a door that led to a study. On a soft white couch, lay a woman in her mid-forties. She frowned, looking out of the window at the garden below. " Mistress, you have guests." The young woman spoke softly. Elena studied the woman by the window and smiled, she seemed like the kind of person who was quiet and elegant, but odd and conceited. The younger woman escorting Elena and Rick walked out quietly. " How can I help you?" The woman asked. Her white gown reached up to her small feet. It was a strapless gown, similar to a wedding dress but without the layers of skirt underneath. " I am Elena McLean and this is my husband Rick Johnson, we're here to see Sarah Anne Cohen, is that you by any chance?" Elena questioned after introducing herself. Sarah smiled and nodded.

" Yes, that is me. What are you here for?" Sarah asked, for someone who lived in London, she sounded a lot more American than Elena and Rick themselves. " Did you know a man named Frank McLean?" Rick asked, waiting patiently for Sarah's answer. She stalled, looking down at the perfectly carpeted floor. " As a matter of fact, I did," Sarah began, " To be honest, he is the father of my child..."  
" The father of your child?" Elena choked on the words as they stumbled out of her mouth. " What?" Rick questioned, looking at Sarah. She sighed, touching a picture on the desk in the far corner of the study. " He is the father of my child. I know he was married. We had an affair. He lied to me for quite sometime and said he wasn't married, but when I turned around here he was with his wife, apologizing to my child and me because he had been foolish. He was bored...tired of living the same life. He wanted adventure and all he got was a child he would only know briefly," Sarah said, inhaling sharply as she spoke. Elena stared at her; worried that the woman's chest might burst open if she continued to breathe that heavily. " So the birth certificate in this envelope belongs to your child?" Elena asked, handing Sarah the envelope. Sarah opened it, looking at the birth certificate. " Yes, it was. He erased the name." Sarah replied. Elena gripped her pink shirt tightly around the collar. " Is it a boy or girl?" Rick asked, wrapping his arms around his wife. " Boy. I named him Lev. He has his father's last name," Sarah chuckled as if reminiscing on some funny event. " How old?" Elena questioned. Sarah smiled and faced her.

" Twenty five. I believe he is three years younger than Frank's first son."  
" You know about Ryo?" Elena shot up from her seat, accidentally knocking Rick into the wall. " Yes. Liz visited me. She came and cried here. Came and screamed at us both for being unfaithful. She screamed at Frank for lying and at me for being careless and trying to ruin a perfect family," Sarah sighed, " but he never told me about it. He kept to himself except when we first met. He talked about a lot of things." Elena nodded, sitting on the now unoccupied white sofa. She could no longer stand. This was too much to handle. " What relationship do you have with Frank?" Sarah asked. " I'm his sister," Elena smiled at Sarah; she had to admit that this woman was in no way mean spirited or evil. " I do apologize if I ever did anything to ruin their family. I let him go without even saying goodbye to Lev." Sarah sat on the large swivel chair placed behind the desk. She touched the rim of the photograph's frame and smiled. The sun set in the eerie silence of the room. Neither Elena nor Rick had any other questions. Everything was simple to understand. Frank, Ryo's father was a good man, but a jerk. He had deceived his wife and lover and had two children who only had a three-year age difference. " I want to meet him," Elena said, her voice almost a whisper. " Can I?" Sarah smiled at Elena and nodded, standing up and walking towards her. " Yes. He'll be here shortly." Sarah explained.  
A loud crash near the door of the study interrupted the silence. " Mom! You in here?" The voice of a young hyperactive man echoed through the long halls of the estate and into the study.

" Mom?" The young man peered into the study, noticing the two blondes in the room, all of them facing him. His mother smiled as she called him towards her with her hands. " What's going on?" Lev questioned. His long blonde hair fell down his back, reaching a little beyond his shoulders. Elena smiled, watching as the young man set down a book bag and sat beside her.

" Lev McLean," He introduced himself to Elena, extending his hand for her to take. She smiled. " Elena McLean, but you can call me Aunt Elena."  
  
_A/N:  
Okay, so here we are at the end of chapter one. Chapter two is typed and ready. I'm just waiting for reviews saying I suck and am polluting the FAKE section like so many others are doing. ¬¬  
I'd like to thank Storm Elf for helping me create Lev's character. Go read her stories and review them! She's an awesome writer!  
I'd also like to thank my sister KC for coming up with crazy ass plots for me to write stories for. _

_Review please! I appreciate feedback. Thanks for reading everyone!_


	2. My father

**Chapter Two: Found  
**  
Elena and Rick sat in the uncomfortable silence that had settled in during their dinner with Lev and Sarah. Lev refused to look up at them or touch a piece of the finely prepared food. Rick ate as quietly as he possibly could without having to ask anyone to pass anything across the table. Elena sighed and watched her new nephew with a determined stare. " How old are you, Lev?" Elena asked, smiling at the young man. Lev shrugged and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. " Twenty five," He replied, " Born June 27." Elena nodded and picked at her own food with her fork. She wasn't very hungry and all the things Sarah had said about Frank had a huge affect on her. " Did you like your father?" Rick asked, grabbing a napkin from the porcelain chicken shaped napkin holder. Lev looked up at him, eyes watering as he nodded and whispered a hardly audible, " Yes." Lev wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, the memory of his father's last visit still fresh in his mind.  
  
_ " Are you going to visit me again, daddy?" The young fifteen-year-old boy asked. The taller blonde man stood beside him, staring out at the night sky as the stars twinkled and shined, adding an eerie but beautiful glow to the darkness surrounding the two. " Maybe," Frank replied. His blue eyes reflected only sadness and pain hidden deep inside his soul. " Why is that a maybe?" Lev asked, smiling nervously as his father shifted anxiously from one foot to the other. " Don't. I don't want to upset you, Lev, but your dad has another wife-- you know I can't come see you all the time. You live really far, and I still care for you, Lev," Frank said, smiling sadly. " It's okay. Liz is a good person, and mom already said we would have to say good bye to you forever." Lev turned his back, making it face his father. Frank sighed, frustrated and upset. " Not forever, there's not much we can do though. I'll write to you and send you gifts for your birthday and Christmas," Frank began. Lev shook his head when tears began to sting his eyes. Frank turned his son around and pushed back Lev's blonde bangs from his eyes and smiled, placing cold silver dog tags in his palm. " When I was in the army, we were given these dog tags. I want you to have them, Lev. So that you never forget me, deal?" Frank asked, watching his son smile. " Deal."  
_  
" So you liked him?" Elena asked, snapping Lev back into reality. Lev nodded, receiving a warm smile from both Elena and Rick. " You were born American so how about we go to New York and visit Ryo." Lev stared at Elena strangely. " Who the hell is Ryo?" Lev asked, wondering where he had heard that name before. " Your half-brother," Sarah replied, wiping her mouth on a fine white diner napkin. Lev recalled a moment when he had asked his father for a brother and he received a smile and, " You already have one," as a reply. Lev always wondered what it meant, but all these things piled on him at once. He had received news of his father's death through his mother and had cried despite experiencing deep pain as a child.  
Lev stood from his seat without excusing himself, heading quickly towards his room. His white button down shirt was unbuttoned at his torso. He pushed back long blonde hair, tying it into a ponytail to avoid immense heat. Lev's life had not been as glamorous as everyone in his prestigious schools imagined. He may have been the sun of a beautiful former American actress who made more money in Britain and France than she had in America. Lev's long blonde hair was a special trait received from his father. His mother had dark raven hair while his father's hair was a brilliant shade of blonde. His light blue eyes were inherited from both his parents. His strong jaw line also came from his father. His pale skin color he had inherited from both. His mother's ears framed his strong young face. He smiled; looking into a mirror, recognizing that most of his handsome smooth features came from his father. He wondered if this so called " Ryo" was in the least bit similar to him. Lev needed to know, was this Ryo really Frank's child? Were they alike? Did they share common interests? Was Ryo grateful that he had his father for as long as he did? He better have been. Lev removed the small suitcase he kept in the wooden closet in his bedroom. He whistled as he grabbed clothing and stuffed them inside the suitcase.  
  
Back in New York, the white and blue police cars bounced off light, blinding most of the passerby's. Ryo McLean walked quickly, avoiding cars moving in and out of the parking lot for no reason. Many cars were parked diagonally across the precinct lot. Ryo sighed as he ran into the one story building-- a few minutes later than usual. It was extremely rare for him to be late. " Morning Ryo, were the sheets hard to pull off?" Ted snickered, watching Ryo walk into the break room. " Even Dee is here before you," Drake commented. Ryo groaned, realizing it would be a really long day, especially since the Chief hated it when anyone was late-everyone except Dee that is. He frowned and pushed through the people in the precinct, plenty of " New York's finest" walked around carrying papers, food and cups of coffee. " Morning, Randy," Riz greeted him. The young woman smiled as Ryo greeted her with as much kindness as ever. " Damn Ryo, did you get off at the wrong train stop or something?" Dee laughed, watching Ryo scowl at him. " No, Bikky forgot his lunch money so I had to chase him down the street," Ryo replied, organizing his desk as he did every morning. " Do we have a case?" He asked the dark haired man sitting across him. " No, but your sexy secretary took a message for you. Your Aunt Elena called saying she wanted to speak to you and she's going to pass by today in the afternoon. She said it's absolutely important. Passing by at three," Dee said, wearing a smirk wider than his perverted grins. " Wait, who's my secretary?" Ryo asked, acting oblivious to see Dee's reaction. " Hey!" The younger dark haired detective screamed. Ryo chuckled and pushed his dark honey blonde bangs away from his face. " Laytner, McLean, I want to see the both of you in my office, now!" The chief's voice boomed into the detective's office. " We'll be right there, chief." Dee screamed back, leaning back in his swivel chair and flipping lazily through the precinct newsletter. Ryo shook his head, grabbing Dee's messy blue dress shirt and pulling him up.  
" You two have to question a witness for a rape case today. But you'll have to be intruding on another precinct's area. Be careful, the 34th precinct is not the precinct you want to mess with. Their specialty is drug and gang related cases so there's no need to worry, just try to avoid confrontation, okay? Those guys are jerks." The chief warned Dee and Ryo for hours, droning on about how the guys from Washington Heights were the biggest jerks in the world and how he despised the chief there. Dee held back laughter, watching the chief almost pass out recounting the story of how the 34th precinct's chief had almost tried to kill him. Ryo had zoned out after, " just try to avoid confrontation." He had been wondering why his aunt Elena had called him at the precinct and left him a message. She would usually call his home and leave a message on his answering machine. It was," absolutely important," as Dee said. " I wonder what Aunt Elena wanted..." Ryo's voice drifted, interrupting the chief's story. He growled, lighting a cigarette and dismissing them with a wave of his hand.  
" Well, we better get to it," Dee said, jumping into the useless piece of crap they called a car. Dee's constant cursing was drowned out by the soft music playing on the radio and the occasional interruption from the dispatcher. Ryo's own humming balanced out the noise of the New York City streets. He watched as the straight up ghetto kids with their baggy pants below their asses walked up and down the streets. Most of them rocked- as Bikky said- baseball hats and basketball jerseys while others, including females, wore sports gear and expensive sneakers. Ryo noticed that the majority of the people in the neighborhood were tanned and slightly darker. Most of them had big brown eyes and dark black or brown hair. He smiled watching a blond girl push her dark haired male friend out of her way while giggling. " The precinct is this way which means we'll have to go down these damned hills to get there." Dee mumbled, turning down a one-way street besides a gray building and a beautiful red and off white brick church. " Hey asshole, this is a one-way street," A young woman yelled. Dee flipped her off, driving down the hill like nothing. The neighborhood was called Washington Heights for a reason. Steep hills almost impossible to climb without water or a good amount of strong leg muscles lined almost every single street from Wadsworth to Saint Nicholas to Broadway. " Dee, she was right you know, this is a one way street," Ryo noted, pointing to the sign that read 183rd street and Broadway in big white letters. The signs themselves were connected to large poles at the edge of the street corner. " So what? This piece of crap precinct can't touch us." Dee explained. Ryo sighed, pushing back his hair. A lot of the teenagers in the street had disappeared into buildings or grocery stores to binge on junk food. " Holy shit, this place is huge!" Dee exclaimed, noticing the rows and rows of cars parked diagonally in the same style the officers parked in the 27th precinct. Ryo looked around, noticing the rich green trees around the neighborhood. Pink blossoms appeared on the tree branches leading to beautiful green leaves in the summer. Ryo inhaled the city air, surprisingly; it was cleaner than the smell in downtown.  
The streets were littered with papers and garbage. Small paper cups used to sell Italian ices littered the streets along with party flyers and wanted posters the cops had obviously not thrown into the wind. Dee maneuvered the car into an available spot, failing to notice the young blonde man running towards him. He halted and almost got run over by Dee's old car. " What the hell do you think you're doing, dolt!" Dee screamed, getting out of the car to see if the young man was all right. " Ass! What is wrong with you, did you not see me?" The young man yelled staring up at Dee. His blonde hair flew in his face as the wind picked up. Ryo aided the young man, helping him up from off the ground. Dee continued to stare down at the young man; something oddly familiar about his face sparked his interest. " Have I seen you before?" Dee asked out of curiosity. " No, ass. I just came from London." The young man replied, standing beside Ryo and thanking him silently. Dee pushed back his hair, staring at the two blondes with very similar features. " Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." The young man excused himself and wandered away, catching a town car as soon as he reached the corner of the street. Dee finished parking the car completely and walked with Ryo to the 34th precinct.  
  
Ryo and Dee returned back to the 27th precinct in time for lunch. Ryo stared at his watch. " It's 3 o' clock, Dee. Why aren't they here?" Ryo questioned. Dee shrugged, biting into the large sandwich he split with Ryo. " Maybe they're going to be late. Relax, Ryo. You're way too tense." He said, taking a sip of his soda. " Hey Ryo, a blond woman and her husband are asking for you, they're carrying cameras, should I let them in?" Ted asked, poking his head in to the office. " Oh! That's my Aunt and Uncle. Send them in," Ryo stood from his seat, fixing his desk and organizing Dee's while his raven-haired partner just stared. The blond woman stepped into the office, thanking Ted who was opening the door for her. " Hi, Ryo!" Elena greeted, receiving a warm embrace from her nephew. She smiled, hugging Ryo tightly and looking over his shoulder at Dee who waved. " Ah, you must be Dee Laytner, we spoke over the phone," Elena said, smiling and holding out her hand for Dee to take. The dark haired man smiled, wiping his hand on a napkin and shaking Elena's extended hand. Ryo nodded approvingly; at least they got along.  
" It's nice to finally meet you, Dee. Ryo has told me so much about you." Elena smiled, exchanging glances with a nervous looking Ryo. Dee raised his eyebrow, grinning at Ryo. " Hopefully it was all good." Elena nodded, walking towards the door. " Where's uncle Rick?" Ryo questioned, looking around the hall for any sign of his uncle Rick. " I want to talk to you first. It's important." Elena's smiling face became serious. " O...okay," Ryo whispered. " You can talk on the roof. It's the most private place I know of in this dump," Dee said, looking up at Ryo and smiling. He nodded gratefully, allowing Elena to walk in front of him through the doorway.  
The precinct's roof was like every other New York City building roof. Pebbles lined the roof building's floor. The high smoke stack pipe allowed polluted black air to escape the building while the air vents did nothing but cough out dusty air. Elena stood overlooking the downtown New York City streets she was never accustomed to. She looked over to Ryo, who also looked over the streets, a content but worried smile crossing his lips. Elena placed her thin hand on the honey blonde detective's shoulder. The distant look in his eyes replaced the smile as he looked over the high buildings towards the George Washington Bridge. It overlooked everything with such majesty it reminded Ryo of his father's height and how no matter how old Ryo got, he never seemed to reach his father's record of six feet and two inches. The blonde man always seemed to tower above every one else for as long as Ryo could remember. He smiled, turning to Elena and holding her hand loosely. " You wanted to talk to me about something?" He asked, watching his aunt shift uncomfortably from her spot near him. " Well, Ryo it's like this: You have a half brother -from your father's side- and he wants to meet you. " Elena said. She had practiced before saying it to Rick over and over again so that she wouldn't blurt out the wrong thing or use the wrong tone while speaking to him. She was very happy to have another nephew. She had missed out on a lot in her life. Having children was one of those things. Her photographic expeditions usually stopped her from being able to have children and she feared being much too old for the motherhood thing now. Ryo had always been like her son, but she had missed out on everything almost every woman dreams of. " What? Is this a joke, aunt Elena?" Ryo asked, a nervous smile forming on his thin lips. " No, Ryo. This is everything but a joke. You seriously do have a half-brother. Me and Rick can prove it, he even looks like you!" Elena exclaimed, fearing Ryo would hate her for delivering such painful information. Ryo chuckled, looking up at the cloudless light blue sky so rarely seen in New York. " I know," Ryo whispered, staring down at his shocked aunt. " What? Hold on...how did you-" Elena's words stumbled out of her mouth as if she were just learning how to speak. " Dad told me...before he went to Europe. He said that I had what I always wanted but I wouldn't meet him for a very long time." Ryo explained, looking up at the sky again. " Oh that's right...you always asked Liz and Frank for a baby brother." Elena laughed, " You even asked me where babies came from." Ryo chuckled, nodding. " What a disaster that was." Rick interrupted the conversation with his comment. Ryo and Elena smiled and greeted the man. Rick grinned, patting Ryo's shoulder. " So...where is he?" Ryo asked, looking around for any sign of another person. " Not here. He had an audition for a Broadway play," Rick commented. " So is he an actor or something?" Ryo asked, wondering about his half brother's profession. " He's a dancer," Elena replied, staring at her nephew. " Invite him over to my place for dinner, okay? You come too." Ryo said, addressing his aunt and uncle. Elena smiled, pushing back her long blond hair. " We won't be able to make it, we took a flight from London back here just to bring Lev, we have to be back there by tomorrow, meaning we have to leave tonight. But thanks for inviting us, sweetheart. I promise, I will tell Lev about the dinner." Ryo nodded, walking alongside his aunt and uncle as they started down the stairs.  
  
" So who's this guy again?" Dee asked, wondering who the hell Ryo was going through all the trouble of preparing dinner for. " He's my half- brother," the shorter but much older of the two detectives replied, tossing chopped onions and peppers into a frying pan. " You have a half brother?" Bikky, Cal and Dee asked, simultaneously. " Yeah. When I was eighteen, my dad and mom left for Europe on a business trip. Before they left, my dad told me that I had a brother somewhere in Europe and that he was going to find him and bring him back, but they couldn't...they didn't get the chance to." Ryo's voice shook as he spoke despite trying hard to keep it at a steady even tone. He wiped the tears away from his eyes and smiled up at the trio sitting at the kitchen table, muttering something about the onions making his eyes water. " Cal, Bikky, how about you two make the salad and slice the bread while me and Dee set the table, okay?" Ryo smiled handing Bikky a basket of bread, watching as the two kids got up from the table and headed for the living room, grabbing the plates before exiting.  
Dee stared up at his honey blonde partner, studying Ryo's delicate features. Honey blonde hair framed a thin delicate face. Fair and flawless light skin made the dark color of Ryo's eyes appear even darker. " Ryo tell me why you're afraid of him?"

* * *

_ - 34th precinct's specialty: From what my friend's dad tells me, each precinct notes specific cases as high priority. The 27th (if you haven't noticed from reading FAKE) usually deals with drugs and child cases. The 34th deals specifically with Drugs and Gang related cases._   
  
_**A/N:** So here we are, another finished chapter. You'll all have to excuse my grammar and some of the words that don't seem to fit in here...Microsoft word is a demon in disguise. It's kind of cool, but it doesn't seem to really understand what I'm trying to say. But I'm a good writer...right? Right? RIGHT? So cruel...sniff Ciao Everyone! Please review._


	3. Meetings

**Chapter Three**

****  
  
" I'm not afraid of him. What do you think I am?" Ryo said, becoming extremely irritated by a practically harmless conversation. Dee studied the man from head to toe, knowing his partner better than he knew himself (except for anywhere below the waist since he hadn't gotten there yet). Dee smirked and looked up at the sweet blonde man who looked angrily back at him. 

" Calm down, Ryo. You're overreacting," Dee spoke casually, leaning back in his chair to watch Ryo cook silently. Ryo said nothing in his defense and instead continued to chop vegetables. "Don't ignore me," Dee muttered, pushing back dark strands of hair and staring out the window as the rain pounded against the double layers of glass. Good ol' New York City apartments. It was thundering outside- rather loudly- as Dee looked out at the now empty New York streets. The dark haired detective never had any siblings other than the other kids at the orphanage, and he hated most of them. He had always admired this one pair of siblings who would always walk down the street together as children, but the older they grew, the farther apart they would walk until they even stopped taking the same route to school. Dee knew they both still went to the same exact private school, but they refused to speak to each other. Now here he was, watching two brothers come closer together after exactly 25 years of separation. He had wondered for a very short time, if his relationship with Ryo would one day be like that of the two brothers. If they did become a couple and live together and bug each other every second of the day, would their love be able to stand strong? Would they be able to remain by each other for all eternity, or would Ryo one day decide to take a different route towards someone else... " Dee, are you okay?" Ryo asked, staring down at the younger detective. " Eh?" Dee shot up, noticing an average height blonde man standing beside Ryo, soaking wet. " Dee, this is my brother, Lev," Ryo introduced Lev although he himself knew nothing about the man.

" Nice to meet you, Dee. Heard nothing about you, but it's a pleasure." Lev said, smiling nervously at the taller man. His brain continued to send signals to his body, cursing himself for being so damn short. Dee smiled back, shaking Lev's hand and staring at Ryo.  
The three shared an uncomfortable silence broken only by Bikky and Carol's mocking laughter. " You guys look alike," Cal said, walking up to Lev. " I'm Cal, Ryo's daughter." The short silver haired girl introduced herself. Ryo nudged her gently as Cal teased him with a sweet childish smile. " I'm actually his friend. It's nice to meet you, Lev." Carol said, taking Lev's hand. The young blonde man seemed to exhale sharply. " That saves me money. I thought I was an uncle for a second," He said, smiling down at the girl. " Well, you sort of are," Ryo said, smiling.

He pointed at Bikky who stepped forward with a simple," Yo."

Lev smiled, receiving an explanation from Ryo about Bikky being his adoptive son. Lev nodded, accepting the warm family feeling in the room. He noticed Dee's uninterested glance and smiled. This was definitely a bit of an odd situation. What exactly was Dee to Ryo? " He's my partner," Ryo said adding a knowing glance at Dee who raised an eyebrow seductively. "I'm a detective at the 27th precinct and Dee's my partner." Lev nodded and smiled. " Interesting," He mumbled.  
Dinner passed by rather quickly as the group chatted about casual things. Bikky warned Ryo of his upcoming report card. He had upset a teacher who had threatened to fail him and he hadn't handed in any assignments given to him during the school year. Ryo groaned in disapproval but said nothing. The rest of dinner was spent focusing on Lev. They knew absolutely nothing about him. " Do you have a family, Lev?" Dee asked curiously. " No, not really." The blonde smiled politely. " You probably have a girlfriend then?" Carol smiled shyly. Hey, who could blame her. Lev's shoulder length blonde hair was tied neatly in a ponytail resembling Bikky's. Lev's shining blue eyes stared down at her. " Well, no actually. I am, however, looking for a soul mate." Lev chuckled at his reply. It was rather sweet that people actually wanted to know about him. Most times, he preferred to keep himself quiet about everything. He was a rather mysterious person due to his years of isolation. Sarah preferred to keep her son hidden from someone or something or it may have been that she wanted to keep something hidden from him. Lev could never exactly tell which one it was. She always did receive mysterious guests-- one of them being a large man in expensive clothes followed mostly by young men. "It's getting late, I should head home." Lev glanced down at his watch. Ryo smiled and nodded. " Alright, Good night, Lev. Take care." And as the blonde man prepared to take his leave, he wished everyone good night and headed out the door, into the cold Manhattan streets.  
  
" Yep...it's him," A thin man sitting in the passenger side of a double parked car whispered at his ally. " Sure?" The other man asked. " Yeah. McLean lives there so this must be the other one," the thin man spoke, pointing up at Ryo's third story apartment window. " So he's the other McLean. Damn, kid looks just like his father without a mustache." The man sitting in the driver's seat commented. The thin man smirked. " Guess so. Has a bit of Sarah in there too. The eyes mainly."  
At this time of night, only a few "lucky" people remained on the New York city subways. Most of these people being homeless men and women dressed in clingy and short leather outfits. The multi-colored chairs on the trains were mostly empty despite the fact New York was rumored to be "the city that never sleeps". Lev chuckled to himself thinking of how ironic it was that practically everyone on the train was asleep. New York was always a city of excitement, lights, anger and fights galore. Clubs were pouring with people at this hour and 42nd street was absolutely alive. People zig zagged and pranced down the streets, shoving into each other without a single "sorry" in the midst. It was a pretty safe bet someone would get robbed by the end of the night. Then again, someone was robbed at least once every hour of the day. The booming sound of gunshots echoed for blocks and nothing could comfort the rapid beating of a person's heart like the sound of a police siren.  
Ryo was one of them--a cop. He knew what real adrenaline was because he had been exposed to the actual feeling. He had felt his heart race the day Elena told him his parents had died. Lev never felt that because he only lost one parent. Only one. And to think that he could've been with them. He could have been shot to death if Sarah hadn't told him it was unsafe to travel with Frank and Liz. Lev wanted to go. He felt it was the right thing to do-or at least what he thought was the right thing to do. His mother had always picked the safest scenarios for Lev. He had always been shielded and well taken care of.  
Lev smirked, wondering why his father had chosen to live in such a crime ruled city. Then again, there was so much opportunity in New York. A mix of exotic people from China, Japan, Mexico, The Caribbean, Europe and other countries truly gave the city that spark. There were precious landmarks like the empire state building, the George Washington Bridge, Fort Tryon, The Cloisters, the little Red lighthouse, The Statue of Liberty, Broadway and at one point even the Twin Towers. Lev frowned, why had his father left him behind in Europe when he could've grown up around the overly polluted city? "Hey, motherfucker! Some people have to sleep! Turn that shit down!" Someone in the streets screamed loudly. Lev chuckled, listening to the loud Arabic music coming from one of the open windows of an apartment building. Lev sighed contently; he finally met his older brother and even though he didn't know much about Ryo, Lev felt as if they could speak to each other without restraints. Well, hopefully.  
  
" You stayin' over?" Bikky asked, watching Dee clean up the dishes left in the kitchen sink while Ryo showered. " Yup. Got a problem with that, munchkin?" Dee asked Bikky. The boy shrugged. " Whatever. I don't care anyways." Dee stared at the boy, completely dumbfounded.

" What? Did you hit your head on something?" The dark haired man smirked. Bikky glared at him angrily. " No and mind your own business, you gay bum." Bikky snapped.

" Look, monkey brat. Since Ryo's as alert as a grandmother crossing the street when the light is green, I'm going to have to teach you to be a man and men don't say 'mind your business' ." Bikky frowned.

" You might turn me into a perverted gay man. So, no thanks."

" What's eating at you, Bikky? Only one insult tonight. Not getting any?" Dee snickered with his best- I feel sorry for you- look.

" No, I think that's a question for you. And I guess-I don't know."  
  
" Don't know what, Bikkster?"  
  
" I got a bad feeling, that's all," Bikky replied, resting his head on his arms. " Lev isn't the problem. There's just something weird about the whole thing," The boy said. Dee sat across the tanned boy and smirked, lighting a cigarette in the process. Bikky frowned. " Go home, Dee." He said, standing up and heading towards his bedroom. Dee growled; at least the kid knew when trouble was ahead.  
  
** In NY, every single window of an apartment is made with three layers of glass for two reasons: Flying bullets and flying people. It's pretty cool though. If one layer has been broken, you can still feel the cold come through the window even though there are two other layers left. Yes, I am horribly sarcastic.**

* * *

**_A/N_**: _I liked the Grandmother comment. It sounds like something Dee and this dude from another manga (Gorgeous Carat) Rei would say. Gah! Experimenting with Semi-colons and dashes is NOT fun. Yes, I am experimenting with Semi-colons and dashes. I am trying to improve my writing skills. Anyways, I have and always will be, a pain in the ass. There was that really weird description of New York in this Chapter. I've lived in this damn city all my life (in the bad parts of it) so I pretty much have seen all the bums peeing in public and all the homeless bums dancing on subway poles like strippers and peeing--in the subway. I've also seen the jay walking, the shootouts, and the cops harassing little girls. Yes, this is a crappy city, but awesome in every way possible. What chapter is this?Third? Wow, must get to finishing the fourth chapter. Anyways, please review people. I'm trying my best to stay on track and make this story really good. I love all the reviews I've gotten so far. _


	4. Phone call

Chapter Four  
  
Ryo woke to the sound of his telephone ringing uncontrollably off the hook- this was not a good sign. " Hello?" He answered the phone; the fact he had been sleeping clearly heard in his voice. " Uh...hello. I'm sorry if I woke you but I was looking for my son and his aunt gave me this number. His name is Lev. Oh! Are you Randy?" The rather enthusiastic woman on the phone spoke very properly with a hint of a British accent attached to her speech. Ryo groaned silently. He remembered dealing with the parents of his friends and even his own grandparents at one time. They all seemed so eager to speak with Ryo and they all somehow managed to sit him down and feed him while he tried to make striking conversation. By the end of his stories he'd end up hearing the enthusiasm in the adult's voices as they asked him questions, as if testing him on intelligence. He chuckled thinking of how inappropriate and odd it would be to ask this woman for something to eat seeing how he had been offered food and beverages each time he spoke to an adult parent. Then it hit him--this was the woman that had ruined the trust between his parents. " Wait. You're Lev's mother?" Ryo questioned, his curiosity had obviously gotten the best of him; sitting up suddenly as he awaited her answer.  
  
Sarah smirked to herself. "Why yes, as a matter of fact I am." She laughed sweetly. She sat at her desk, toying with a fine point pen--placing it between her fingers and twisting it as if it were a baton. " So you are Randy. It's finally a pleasure to speak to you, Randy. I've heard a lot about you from Liz and Frank. And I'm very sorry for your loss," Sarah grinned to herself-enjoying the fact that she was speaking to Ryo a bit too much. To be honest, she enjoyed it much more than she thought. Years had gone by and her bitterness and anger hadn't faded. She knew something had to be done when Frank announced to her that he and Liz were not going to return to England as he had intended to do every year. The blonde man had wanted to take Lev with him--to live with him and to meet Ryo, but Sarah would not have it-ever! She despised Liz.  
  
" Oh...I'm sorry. It seems I wasn't paying attention. Could you repeat that?" Sarah said, feigning innocence. A lot of things ran through her mind and she was obviously ignoring everything Ryo was saying on purpose. Maybe he was as boring and redundant as his mother. "I said that it was nice to finally speak to you also and I thank you." Ryo imitated Sarah's proper speech in a subtle but mocking way. He was beginning to dislike this woman for some unknown reason. " Anyways- Ryo is it? - I wanted to ask for my Lev. He promised to call but he hasn't and I'm beginning to worry. Have you any clue why he hasn't called?" Sarah asked. Ryo thought to himself, ' Probably avoiding you for good reason.' However, the blonde detective found that a bit too cruel and shook his head to stop the negative thoughts and feelings towards this woman. " No, not really. He was here last night but he left. I have a card with his number, do you want it?" Ryo asked. Sarah smiled and replied with a simples yes, accepting the number from Ryo. " You are very kind, Randy. Thank you so very much!" Ryo nodded to no one in particular. " Uh huh. Thank you." Both people hung up the phone, bidding each other farewell.  
  
" Ah! You simian brat! What the hell are you trying to do?" Dee's angry yelling echoed throughout the room. "Right on time," Ryo whispered smiling at the loud crashes coming from the living room. The blonde man dressed and walked towards the sounds.  
  
Lev groaned, tossing and turning in his sleep as nightmares plagued his newly gained sleep. It was a reoccurring dream-the one that had affected his daily sleep routine for years after his father's death. He sat quietly in the den of his mother's estate-that large white house in London- and he rocked back and forth in fear. There was screaming going on downstairs. Lev had seen four men or so walking into the living room of his home. They were speaking to his mother who in return was yelling at them. She cussed and moaned in aggravation. That was rather odd. Why had the memory of his mother's acquaintances come up all of a sudden? Lev had always been taught never to eavesdrop on any conversation-taking place in that house. Though it was his house, he had grown up isolated from certain areas. Sarah would never allow him to travel far from his room or her own. He had maintained his distance from any and all of her friends. Guess that's what happened when your mother was somehow associated with the wrong crowd.  
  
The twenty five year old man could see himself sitting on a white colored rocking chair that creaked with every movement. Lev's blonde hair covered his face as he tightened his grip on the silver dog tags belonging to his father. Sarah had ordered Frank's room to be completely stripped of anything that could remind Lev of him. It was to be nothing but a bare room- -unused and untouched for the years that would come. " He's dead, baby," Sarah whispered. Lev looked up to see his mother's smiling face, which she quickly altered into a sad look. There was always something suspicious about her-something...off.  
  
For one, Sarah had many friends. Many of them looked like threatening thugs and others like sweet angelic people. Most of them were male and female pairings, which Sarah had addressed as " The Carriers". Lev never trusted any of these people and he specifically disliked a certain man that had visited his mother ever since he had turned twenty-two. He remembered the only conversation between his mother and this man he had actually heard. He remembered his name was Leon...or something close to it.  
  
" So what happened, exactly?" Sarah asked. She sat sprawled out on her couch, her usual flowing white casual gown on. " Nothing really. He overheard or should I say eavesdropped on our conversation, I shot him and it was over. He came out, screaming something about a mistake and his partner jumped in to stop him," the man replied. Sarah smirked and nodded her head as if agreeing on something. " It's good he suffers. It'll be much better for me in the end. I'll end up with every last drop of the inheritance because of Lev and I plan on spending it well. Feeding into my addiction has gotten the best of me and I'm afraid I won't be able to help you or your boss," Sarah added, sounding sympathetic towards the end of her statement. The man smirked and leaned back in his chair, trying to make himself comfortable. " I thought you had stopped your little 'problem' from being nosy," The man said. His eyes were fixed on the door Lev stood behind. " Lev!" Sarah cried out, standing quickly and yanking her son from behind the door. The man had stood and stared in silence at the boy. " Damn...he looks just like him," he muttered, " You sure he isn't a clone or something?" Sarah chuckled and pushed Lev away. The boy remembered exactly how the man had looked. He was in his early thirties or so with short blonde hair and vibrant but piercing green eyes. He was tall, taller than Lev's father. " You're twenty-two, Lev, learn to respect other people's privacy. Now I want you to apologize to the Mister," Sarah demanded. Lev looked straight at the man, his smirk was ruthless- almost threatening in a way- and his eyes glared at Lev with an indescribable emotion, seemingly between hatred and pity. " I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to eavesdrop." With his apologies said, he exited the room, looking back at the man only once. There was something about him he just did not trust.  
  
_RING! RING!_ Lev shot up from his bed, wondering where in bloody hell that ringing sound came from. It couldn't possibly be the elevator. It was much too loud for that. Lev studied every inch of his room, glancing around it to figure out where the sound came from. The phone rang once more as Lev realized it was what caused all the noise.  
  
" Hello?" The man answered. " Sweetie? Hey, it's you mum," Sarah said quickly. Lev sighed; he really didn't feel like speaking to her. It had been fun the day before not having to speak to her. He disliked his mother's false sense of security and her lack of understanding. He had a hard time speaking to her about his day considering it included spending time in a room full of dancers. " Hey, mom. What's up?" He asked, smiling to himself. It was the only way he could fake happiness at hearing her voice. " Not much. Just wanted to ask you about your trip. Ooh! I spoke to your brother. Wow, that sounds so weird," Sarah laughed and continued, " He was really nice about it. Anyways-" Sarah was cut off by Lev's groaning. He apologized, not realizing how loud he had done it. " Mom, I want to ask you a question and I want you to be honest," Lev began, " Ma, did you use drugs before? Were you associated with drugs in anyway and please, don't lie to me to protect my feelings and all that good crap. Be real honest, mom." Sarah sat at her desk, completely shocked as she heard her son bring up her use of drugs. It was something she had kept hidden from him for years. Yes, she had used, abused and had all around given her life to those goddamned things. They were addictive and continued to call for her. They called and called and she continued to run to them. It was something that almost cost her the life of her son and her own. But hers was much more important-or at least, that was what she believed. " Yes-but I stopped! I swear I did!" Sarah calmed her hysteria, something she had to do often when discussing her precious disgusting vice. " In that case, we need to talk."  
  
" Morning, Ryo," Ted greeted, handing the honey blonde detective a yellow office envelope. "Your aunt faxed a whole bunch of papers over. They were police reports so we let them slide instead of calling you on it as personal stuff." Ted chuckled, patting Ryo's shoulders.

" Thanks Ted."  
  
Dee sat waiting for his partner to return with their breakfast. Ryo had seemed more distracted than usual lately and that bothered Dee- a lot. He never expected Ryo to have a brother. What else had his partner kept from him? Did he have a wife and kids in South America or something? Okay, maybe that was going a bit overboard, but Dee truly feared the other secrets Ryo kept from him. What else could he have hidden in his closet? Ryo had clouded Dee's thoughts almost constantly from the minute he walked into the precinct, Dee knew his heart skipped beats with every footstep Ryo took. 'You're a fool, Dee,' the little voice in Dee's head would cry out but Dee ignored it. He knew he loved Ryo and hopefully Ryo knew it too. It was painful to know this though. It meant that Ryo was simply evading Dee's feelings and that killed the dark haired man. Both men were friends but for Dee, Ryo was much more. He was so much more Dee feared losing Ryo. He dreamed of Ryo's sweet passionate kisses and of Ryo's smiling face.   
  
" Hey," Ryo greeted at the door. He smiled and walked into his office, shaking his head in disgust at the papers and coffee mugs surrounding the office. " We really need to clean this place up." He chuckled and set down the bag and envelope he had been carrying. Dee spotted the yellow envelope and picked it up while Ryo picked up the mess of papers on Dee's and his desk. He tried to keep both of them clean (since Dee wouldn't clean his own) but the task seemed more troublesome than it sounded. " What's this?" Dee asked, studying the envelope. It was opened and someone with very poor penmanship had scribbled Ryo's name on it. " Is it from Ted? Is it a case?" Dee asked. Ryo stared at his partner in utter confusion. " How'd you know it was from Ted?" He asked, wondering if Dee had some hidden skill-other than going from zero to turned on in six point two seconds-that he did not know about. " Handwriting is horrible," Dee explained, pointing at Ryo's poorly written name. " Is that a p?" Ryo asked, leaning in closer to examine Ted's handwriting. Dee took this as an opportunity and pulled his partner in closer, claiming his lips in a short kiss. " Dee! We're working here!" Ryo cried out, pulling his partner away. Dee sighed, moving back into his chair. " Examining Ted's handwriting isn't working." Dee smirked, raising an eyebrow seductively while shifting in his chair. Ryo gave him a strange look, wondering when he was going to be able to stop Dee's random attacks. Being around the man or brushing against him was dangerous enough as it was being that it was when Dee's "turned on in six seconds" skill jumped in.  
  
" They're the police reports from my parent's death. Remember?" Ryo sat at his desk, watching Dee carefully remove the papers inside the envelope. He studied them for quite some time, looking for familiar names of detectives or officers on the reports. " They were shot just outside of Manhattan? Wow, that's something," Dee mumbled. Ryo looked up, wondering where Dee was going with this. " Hey, there's a name I recognize!" He exclaimed, eyeing Ryo. " What're you talking about?" Ryo asked, leaning forward again only to be tricked into another kiss. He moaned in frustration as Dee snickered and pulled away. " Dee..."  
  
" No really, I do recognize this name, though. Robert Kendall. He's a great detective. He reviewed the investigation and now that Lev's in the picture, maybe we can get some information out of him," Dee said. Ryo smiled, impressed that his partner was actually more than just a libido and sex drive. " Don't act so surprised Ryo. I'm not as dumb as I am sexy," he commented," and I'm much better in bed." Ryo couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Dee had been true to his word about helping Ryo out. Dee stood and walked over to the doorway where he shouted for someone. " Hey, Morgan! Come here a minute, will you?" Dee called. He waited a few minutes by the door until a fairly tall girl stood before him. She had blue eyes and brown hair. She smiled widely at Dee and nodded her hello to Ryo. " Hello, Morgan," Ryo greeted. " Hey, Ryo." She giggled silently and turned her attention back to Dee. " You wanted something, Dee?" She asked, wondering what Dee had called her over for. Dee smiled knowing full well how much this girl liked him. " Yeah, babe. I wanted to ask you about Mr. Robert Kendall. Remember the Rogers case and how he was at the funeral. Do you know where we can reach him?" Dee asked. Morgan looked thoughtful for a second before replying, " Yeah. I think he works down at the 34th precinct. It's in Washington Heights if you-" Dee's groan had caused Morgan to jump back in surprise. " We were just there yesterday! What is up with these damn detectives?" Dee yelled. Morgan glanced at Ryo who had also been taken aback by Dee's sudden outburst. " Err...yeah. I'll check and make sure, but I believe that is where he is working now unless he took my advice and went for the whole private detective thing," Morgan commented. She looked thoughtful again before noticing Dee's raised eyebrow and confused look. " Thanks then. I guess." Dee shrugged and stared at Ryo for a few minutes. He seemed to have forgotten Morgan's presence until she squealed with concealed excitement when the gaze of the two detectives locked. " Aren't you supposed to be off doing homework or taking care of horses or something?" Dee asked, rudeness setting in. " Hey!" Morgan exclaimed, faking a hurt look at his remark. Ryo chuckled and watched the girl walk slowly out of the room, smiling. " Cute kid." Ryo said, sitting at his desk. Dee raised an eyebrow in suspicion. " If you're going to cheat on me, at least do it with another guy, jeez." Dee sat at his own desk and smiled, shaking his head and listening to Ryo's sweet melodious laughter.

* * *

_**A/N**: Someone made a cameo appearance! I won't say who so no trying to figure it out. You wouldn't be able to either, no matter how smart you are unless you are that person so...heh. Anyways, I really liked writing this chapter despite it being 6:03 in the morning and me having spent the night listening to music and feigning on , looking for GOOD fan fiction (which is nearly impossible to find, nowadays). Damn kids. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think. Some of this stuff is getting really dramatic and we're not even half way through. I just hope I don't end up receiving threats of death and junk. I'm not getting as many reviews as I'd like so I'm going to change the rating and cut down on the violence planned in later chapters. However, it does include a bit of violence, cursing and all that good stuff your parents try to shield you from- not mine though, I'm from New York. You learn your very first curse word on your first birthday when your parents curse out the drunk clown for scaring you. Heh. I'm really dramatic this week. Like I said, I'm putting the rating on PG- 13, which means Parental Guidance suggested and you must be over the age of 13. If not, I ask you show your parents this if they start cursing you- or me- out: I am not responsible for what your children read online. This is pretty tame considering some other stuff I've seen online and damn, this is one long author's note, so goodbye everyone. I am off to sleep at 6:19 a.m., sad, no?_


	5. Mistakes?

**Chapter Five**

Gray clouds lined the vast sky as far as eyes could see. It was only a matter of time before it started pouring cold rain, which always mixed with the cool summer breeze. The sky seemed to seek the pity of the overly polluted city, but no one minded the cold air and no one paid attention to the gray and black pigeons and seagulls hovering overhead. It was a dull, monotone day. Nothing mattered and no one seemed to care. At least, that's how Lev McLean saw the day. It was empty, cold and heartless; ironically enough, exactly how he felt.

His previous phone conversation with his mother had not ended well when he insulted her pride and had absentmindedly called her a whore. He wanted to call back and apologize but the courage to pick up the phone and admit his mistakes did not come. Nothing really mattered and all he could do was get into the dance studio, work off his stress and get back home. He wanted comfort for once.

The subway was crammed with teenagers making their way to work or school. They screamed, played around and even insulted each other- screaming crazy profanities without caring who overheard what. Lev listened in on one of the kid's conversations. A girl who looked oddly familiar began to speak, addressing a much younger boy who sat across her-- out of Lev's view. "Cal?" Lev asked, approaching the girl. Cal looked up, noticing the blonde man towering over her. "Lev? Hey," she replied, happily shaking his hand. Lev stared across her, finding Bikky sitting there with his legs on the chair near him, taking up much needed space. "Let Lev sit, Bikky," Cal whispered, ordering Bikky to allow his "uncle" to sit near him.

"So where are you going?" Cal asked, smiling. Bikky had grown tired of listening to her speaking and had turned up his CD player. He bopped his head, mouthing words to the songs he was listening to. Lev laughed, turning back to Cal and her question.

"Dance studio on 125th street," he replied. Cal nodded, giving Lev a blank stare. She smiled and turned on her own CD player, which was now loudly playing pop music. Lev groaned, throwing himself back into the orange plastic chair. For an instance he had forgotten all about his woes, and now they had returned only to be wiped out again by two more familiar faces.

" Is that Dee?" Cal asked, moving her head from side to side and standing up in order to get a better view of the two men walking towards them.

" It is Dee!" Bikky yelled, standing on the plastic chair.

" Huh? Dee Latyner from yesterday?" Lev asked, watching the two kids jump around frantically as they called Dee over. The dark haired detective immediately spotted the loud-mouthed kids, shoving past people and cursing incoherently between shoves. He seemed to be pulling someone with him as he made his way to the back of the train car.

"Hi, Ryo," Cal greeted the honey blonde detective when he came into view. He nodded and smiled, patting her head when he reached her.

"Look who's here," Cal began, pointing towards Lev.

" Hey," the brothers greeted each other simultaneously, bursting into a tiny fit of laughter afterwards.

Dee yawned, closing his eyes momentarily before snapping them open and digging in the pocket of his blue jean jacket. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Lev. "Dude, be there at three," Dee said, staring at Ryo.

" What is this?" Lev asked, staring at the address.

" It's the address for a private investigator in Manhattan. It just so happens he was investigating my parents' deaths." Ryo stated. He received a sad glance from Lev who was having a heated discussion whether or not to point out that Frank was _their_ father.

Dee sighed when he noticed this and added, "It's the detective who was checking out your father and his wife's deaths. Happy now?" Lev frowned, clearly not enjoying Dee's blatant attempt to piss him off even though he had been correcting Ryo.

"Thanks man, but I didn't need that cleared up," Lev snapped back bitterly. Ryo stared at Dee and his brother, wondering exactly what these two were getting at. Lev shook his head, suddenly apologizing for his outburst. The dark haired detective nodded, mumbling his own apologies.

As the subway sped through underground tunnels and traveled at amazing speeds through them, Lev couldn't help but rethink his conversation with his mother. She had lied to him for years, stating that she had left her disgusting vice behind after he had become aware of it. Her words no longer made any sense and Sarah had most likely lied about everything. Was he even Frank McLean's second son? Lev shook his head in disgust as the memory of watching his mother snort cocaine in the privacy of her study played over and over in his mind.

" _So you still use them?" Lev asked, wondering if his mother was being completely honest. Her reply was a whisper, something Lev could not hear and maybe did not want to hear._

" _What did you say?" He asked, his voice becoming louder._

" _I said 'yes,' okay? I said yes! I can't stop myself, the temptation is just too much and you stress me, son. You really do! You grew up so fast and I didn't even know what to do with you until you were almost an adult. Your father abandoned me for his wife and other son! I thought I was failing you as a mother and then your dad comes to see you one last time, parading his brand new- his brand new woman like she were some  
'holier than thou' goddess and you liked her! A LOT! Your father even threatened to take you away from me and raise you as Liz's son. And I was scared, so I started using them even more and I-I haven't been able to stop! So if you want to scream at me, scream!" Sarah panicked as she spoke, her voice rising to an alarming level. She seemed to be breathing heavily as she finished. _

_Lev could hear her sobbing over the phone. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, pulling at the strands hard enough to hurt. Sarah stopped sobbing, listening to her son's breathing. He was calmly gathering the bits and pieces of what she had told him. She was a drug addict, had trafficked drugs continuously in and out of Europe. She was also involved with a huge gang, helping in running a black market. And a mafia determined her existence. It was up to them if she lived or died. If she even dared stop helping them in their "businesses", she would vanish mysteriously and simply be declared M.I.A--missing in action. _

" _Do you hate me?" Sarah asked, almost whispering the question._

" _Yeah, mom, I do," Lev replied, "I hate you a lot." Sarah began sobbing again._

" _Tell me, who did you like more? Me or Liz?" _

" _Liz."_

" _I'm your mother, Lev! You are supposed to love me the most, you ungrateful bastard!" Sarah shrieked. The blonde man had pulled away from the phone, ignoring her cursing and anguished screaming. _

" _Alright then, who are you going to defend? Me or Randy?" Sarah asked, calming down._

" _Randy," Lev closed the phone, leaving his mother to fight and curse with herself. She had failed him; it was not the other way around. "I hate you, dad," Lev whispered, getting up from his bed and moving slowly into the bathroom, preparing for the inner turmoil that would follow._

"So we'll see you at three. Where will you be?" Ryo asked. Lev hadn't even noticed that his brother had begun a conversation with him.

"Uh, I'll be in the dance studio on 125th street," he replied. Ryo shook his head, writing something down on a piece of paper before handing it to Lev. "My cell phone number and Dee's," he explained. Lev nodded, placing the piece of paper in his book bag and getting up from his seat. "This is my stop," he announced, waving at Bikky and Cal and saying his good byes to Ryo and Dee.

"He's rude," Dee mumbled, settling down in the empty seat near Bikky. The blonde boy frowned, inching away from Dee before sticking his tongue out.

The dance studio provided little relief from the memories floating in Lev's head. He walked slowly out of the building, failing to notice the black car parked near it, with two suspicious looking men sitting there.

" I'm getting tired of stalking this boy," the driver commented, running his hand through his greasy hair and regretting doing so as soon as he removed it.

" I know, but this kid is important. He can get us into a lot of trouble if some of the crap he knows gets out in the open. And his brother's a cop too so now we're doubly screwed," the other man replied, peering through binoculars to get a closer view of Lev. The blonde man seemed too oblivious to notice anything. He walked clumsily into people, apologizing and even knocking down those who were as out of it as he was. He soon bumped into the same familiar face that had pissed him off that morning.

" Hey, Dee," Lev greeted the dark haired detective.

"Hey, man."

"What're you doing around here?"

"About to get something to eat. You dance around here, right?" Dee asked, emphasizing the word dance and adding hand movements to make a point. Lev chuckled and walked alongside the much taller man. "And where's my older brother?" Lev questioned, staring up at Dee. " Bikky got into trouble in school again and he had to rush over there or something. I swear, I warned him about that runt and did he listen? _No_, because Ryo knows better than Dee. He could've been having lunch with me," Dee grumbled, angrily cursing Bikky's personality and asking God why Bikky couldn't have been a pet turtle instead of a human being. Lev shook his head and laughed at Dee's absurd comments. "Hey, want to go get something to eat, I'm starved," Dee stated. He stopped walking, staring at the surrounding restaurants and stores. "Sure," Lev shrugged and followed Dee into a pizzeria.

"So, what kind of relationship do you and uh, Ryo have?" Lev asked, playing with his napkin as he asked the question. "We're just friends and partners thanks to damn Bikky and that brat girlfriend of his," Dee replied, calling the waitress over. Lev nodded, watching as the woman made her way over.

"Can I help you two?" She asked, listening intently to what each man ordered.

"So back to the subject of Ryo. Do you, like him, you know, sexually or something? There's a lot of tension around you two? Sexual tension, man." Lev pointed out, once more playing with his napkin. He scanned the restaurant for any tasteful décor that could be the subject of his next conversation with Dee; unfortunately, he found none.

"Yeah, I like your brother. Hell, I'd even say I love him, but he's too blind, too naïve," Dee replied, sounded all too sad for his personality, "Why do you ask me this, dude? Are you gay or something?"

Lev chuckled. "Yep. There'd be something wrong with me if I was a straight dancer, don't you think?" Lev asked, smirking. Dee nodded, raising an eyebrow at Lev's response. "Well, Ryo isn't homophobic, but the rat bastard of Bikky is so keep that under wraps."

The waitress, who had just approached their table empty handed, groaned and mumbled, " What a waste of a good man and paper." Lev and Dee chuckled, knowing full well she was headed towards Lev with her phone number in hand.

Both men ate their meals, chatting about useless things and Ryo. Dee had kept Lev at the edge of his seat with his retelling of their cases. Lev's jaw almost touched the ground when Dee explained about Leo and how it was all a mistake that both Ryo's parents had died.

"But you know, something always bugged me about that," Dee added to his story, " No matter how many times I look over the case, there are three things that bother me. Ryo's mom was driving a car that didn't belong to her and there was only one package that looked like the art pieces Ryo's parents were picking up and that was the one with the drugs and there was no other 'couple' collecting a package containing art pieces at the airport. I've checked the airport's flight and luggage records. I've found nothing." Dee lit a cigarette, taking a long puff before setting it down.

Lev stared at his hands, vaguely remembering something. "Was it a Jeep they were driving?" He asked. Dee looked up at him. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Then I don't think they died by mistake," Lev breathed.

"What?"

* * *

_**A/N: For those of you who are already wondering where this is going by me making Lev gay, don't worry about it, he's not stealing Dee from Ryo. That'll never happen in any of my FAKE stories. Lev is just gay for the hell of it. Storm Elf and me were just sitting around one night, chatting and she helped me create Lev's character (Thanks, by the way!) and us being rabid yaoi fan girls for life, decided the hell with it, he's officially gay. So here I am, not having writer's block, but I bet a lot of you can guess where this is going, right? There are a lot of plot twists coming, and in the next chapter, we meet Robert Kendall-not that he's special, but whatever. Review my dear readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I shall work on getting the sixth one up by next weekend, but that is not completely secured because I have a really full schedule next week. Crap, crap and more crap to do!**_

**_Oh and also, please accept my sincerest apologies on the lack of indentation in this chapter. My damn microsoft document won't accept the indentations and this Quick Edit crap doesn't even let me do it correctly. _**


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